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USA Today via Reuters

USA Today via Reuters

The Nuggets recently lost Game 6 against the Timberwolves by a score of 70-115. Despite having won three consecutive matchups against them, Denver was unable to pull another one. With the score tied at 3-3, the upcoming Game 7 will decide once and for all who will head to the Conference Finals. While lead scorer Nikola Jokic will hope that his entire roster is in their best condition before the game, Jamal Murray may end up diminishing that hope.

In the aftermath of Game 6, Jamal Murray was asked about his elbow’s condition. The player clearly emphasized it did not feel better during the game. Furthermore, he hopes that the two-day gap will provide ample time for him to rest. Overall, the point guard was not happy with his performance and admitted he “played terrible”.

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The 27-year-old has been dealing with a left calf strain since the beginning of the Semifinal series. This limited his scoring ability to a great extent. However, concerns about an elbow ailment were also raised after Murray was seen with his right arm wrapped in ice as he covered it with a sweatshirt. While the player did not choose to go into detail, he did highlight it as the reason for not being able to efficiently circumvent Anthony Edwards’ defense.

“It was less about (Edwards), it was more about my elbow at that point,” Jamal Murray said in the presser. “Even some passes, my arm… it was more offensively for him. It wasn’t him guarding me. He was scoring on the other end, and scoring at a great rate.”

The 27-year-old reportedly attempted to put numbing cream on it, but it was no good. He extended his final apology for the loss by stating, “I’m disappointed in myself for not being able to give the right production.”

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How did Jamal Murray perform in Game 6?

Jamal Murray ended his 33 minutes on the court by dropping just 10 points, 2 rebounds, and 5 assists. This was his lowest score since the last three games and marks the 2 time in 18 games when he has scored below 15. The shocking score was due to a significant drop in shooting success. While the player had an average field goal percentage of 49.8% during his previous three games, it dropped to 22.2% during the game after he made only 4-18 field goals. Furthermore, he made 2-7 three-pointers and zero free-throw attempts as part of his shooting.

USA Today via Reuters

With Murray falling behind, the rest of the Nuggets roster attempted to pick up the slack for him. Unfortunately, they too were having a hard time going through the defense put up by Anthony Edwards and Co. After dropping 35 and 40 points during his last two games, Nikola Jokic could only produce 22 this time around. Other than him, Murray, and Gordon, no other player even went above 10 points. This was a contrast to the Timberwolves, who had five of their players reach 10, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker came close with his 9.

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Jamal Murray and the Denver Nuggets still have a chance to redeem themselves in Game 7. However, it will be the last one for them, as a loss there would eliminate them from the tournament. As of now, no further details have been provided on Murray’s injury, whose absence during Game 7 could prove lethal for the franchise.